South Park: The Stick of Truth Censored in Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Australia

Despite South Park: The Stick of Truth being rated 18 in the UK – and presumably equivalent ratings in other countries – the game has apparently had seven scenes censored in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) release. Yes, even if you're an adult, apparently you're not capable of making your own purchase decision if questionable, mature content exists.

BT.com, a communications service company based in the UK, apparently received documentation with a review copy of the game that read: "Seven scenes of about 20 seconds each are censored in the EMEA console versions of South Park: The Stick of Truth." The scenes in question include two mini-games involving an abortion, and "five 'anal probing' scenes in which characters are 'actively' being probed." In other words, typical South Park material. Instead of those scenes playing out, they have been "replaced with on-screen text describing the censored action." This is similar to the censoring that has been reported in the Australian version of the game, though Australia has always been notorious for its strict censorship of video games.

That being said, PC gamers may not have to worry about this. Aside from the documentation specifically stating "console versions," a quick peek at the Steam database reveals just four versions of the game: DE, AU, RU, and a non-designated one that typically means everyone else. So unless you're in Germany, Australia, or Russia, if you want the uncensored version of the game, go with PC rather than the consoles. The system requirements are fairly low.

South Park: The Stick of Truth is set to release on March 4 for Windows PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. You can watch the first thirteen minutes of the game here.